


chasing the stars

by barryallens



Category: DCU
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-06 22:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6772693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barryallens/pseuds/barryallens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>halbarry reveal fic</p><p>-just so you know, ive been rewriting this fic (as well as most of my others), so feel free to reread!-</p>
            </blockquote>





	chasing the stars

 

"Carol did _what_?" 

Hal Jordan grins, shaking his head. "I told you, Bar, she's insane. Batshit crazy. "

Barry Allen snorts. He has lunches with best friend Hal every week, and if there is one thing he can say about them, they're reliable. The full meal is spent retelling stories about Hal's ex-girlfriend, Carol Ferris, who switches from dating Hal to breaking up with him weekly. The same food, and always the same people is what Barry loves. As he does every time, however, Barry decides that he has never enjoyed a day with Hal more. 

"Why were you even with her?" Barry asks, careful not to insult the brunet. He knows they'll be getting back together within a month, but it's a good question. However, Hal, no matter how proud, is delicate and easily frustrated. "I mean, out of all the people... why Carol?" 

The discreetness is also necessary- Barry desperately wants to know whether or not Hal is currently available. Not that he'd date Hal or anything like that, but Barry has to admit that Harold Jordan is hopelessly attractive. 

Hal looks around shiftily before quieting. "I'll tell you," he whispers, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and slowly moving his mouth to Barry's ear, "it was for the sex." 

The blond wrinkles his nose, his lips quirking into a smile. 

"No, seriously!" Hal says. 

Barry raises an eyebrow, slowly sipping water from his glass. He stares at the ice floating in the cup, still smiling. 

"You have way too much confidence in me." Hal begins, "You really should realize that I am while I am gorgeous, I am also bad with relationships." 

"That all you're bad at?" Barry counters. 

They laugh, clinking their cups. Barry can't help but stare at his friend, who smiles radiantly as he chuckles, his head tilted back. That's what Barry loves about Hal- he shifts from gorgeous to a snorting mess effortlessly.

"Okay, okay, though. Bar, I have something to tell you." Hal announces, hand splayed out as if freezing the previous conversation. 

Barry pauses. "Okay?" He shovels more bites of pizza into his mouth, nodding at Hal to continue.

"God, all you do is eat." the brunet says, "Okay, so this is really important but-"

Barry coughs, nearly falling out of his swirly chair. Heads swivel to face him, confusion evident on their faces. "I'm sorry, but did Harold Jordan, master of jokes and lightheartedness say he has an important matter to discuss? I may faint."

Hal rolls his eyes. "Come on, I'm serious." 

Barry faux-gags in response. 

"Barry!" the brunet whines, exasperated. "I have something to tell you." 

"Okay, spill." Barry nearly chokes when he realizes his phrasing. 

 _Wow, you sound like a teenage girl,_ the disembodied voice of Cisco Ramon snorts,  _Anyways, sorry to interrupt your date, but it's important._

Barry's heart almost pounds out of his chest at the sound of Cisco's voice. Hal has no clue that he's the Flash, and this isn't how he wanted to tell his friend.

 Barry freezes, taking a hasty breath before recovering. "Okay, do you need me at STAR Labs?" he whispers, ignoring Hal's frantic confession. 

Silas Stone's voice cuts in.  _No, ignore Cisco. Heatwave and Cold are robbing a bank down the street. Can you get there?_

The blond pauses, frowning apologetically.

Great timing, he thinks.

He pushes his stool away, placing a bill on the table. "I'm sorry, Hal, but I need to go. It's about... work." 

Hal raises an eyebrow, glaring. "Are you for real? Did you hear a word I said, Bar?" 

 _Barry, it's urgent. Cold and Heatwave have already taken money. Stone r_ epeats. 

"I know," Barry hisses, fingering his imprinted ring. "And, um, yes," he adds hastily, directing his voice towards Hal. "Yes to I'm for real, not to if I heard you. Can-can we just finish this another time?" Barry's expression is pleading. 

Hal frowns, then twirls his hand with much deliberation. "Yeah, whatever." he sighs.

Barry slides out of the door, feeling guilty and cruel and like a shitty friend. "I'm _sorry._ " He wails.  He misses Hal's frown when the brunet slowly chugs his beer and slips a green ring into his fighter jacket. 

* * *

* * *

 

Captain Cold and Heatwave are absolute assholes, Barry Allen decides. 

Usually, they're his favorites to fight- Leonard Snart and Mick Rory make a _killer_ combination (hah, GL would be proud), each of the pair sporting their own ridiculous costumes and quips- but per usual, he hasn't managed to get enough food, with lunch cut short. Luckily for him, his fights with Snart are usually alway a match of wits. 

Today, though, Captain Cold and Heatwave are wasting no time with flirting or pleasantries. Whirls of fire and ice fill the air near Barry, his vision going blue, than red, in a nearly endless cycle.

If it weren't so dangerous, Barry thinks he would actually be admiring the delicate ice crystals. 

"Give up,  _Flash,"_ Captain Cold sneers, sending a wave of ice at the speedster's feet. Barry is able to dash back, move a few civillians away from the scene, but not before before falling face-first on the ice. He grumbles, glaring at his reflection in the icy blue sheet.

Rory's face lights into a grimace, and he shoots a compliment at his partner. "Nice, Snart." he growls, "My turn yet?"

His gun sizzles, but the trigger isn't released.

The speedster clumsily scrambles up from the ice, pausing only to ponder the likelihood of the villains actually being in a relationship together, a topic Cisco and Hartley discuss frequently . "Give me your best shot." he declares.

Very good chances, Barry thinks, very good.

"That shouldn't be a problem." another voice retorts silkily.

The voice belongs to Snart's sister, Lisa- who, nicknamed Golden Glider, has stepped into the midst of the fight. She stands proudly, her blonde hair coiffed and curled on her bedazzled shoulders. 

Barry wrinkles his nose, surprised- since when has Cold let his sister join the fight? Good for her, though, he thinks. 

"Lisa." he greets cordially, dodging her blasts of golden goo. He's lucky that her gun takes forever to load. With three villains attacking, Barry is actually getting kind of  nervous. 

Where is Green Lantern? he wonders, knowing his flirtatious partner is never one to miss a fight. 

Golden Glider winks at the speedster, her shimmering skates clacking as she slides to a halt on the ice. "Flash. Tell Cisco I said hi." 

The speedster considers. "Ehh, no. I think he's moved on, sorry. Maybe it was the whole, I dunno, you being a villain thing?" 

It wasn't one of his best comebacks, but Barry knows that Cisco Ramon is Lisa's soft spot.

A ring of blue, red and gold steps up to Barry, encircling him. "I think you should have said yes." Lisa says, pointing her gun tip at his chin. 

Barry steps back, panicked. His quip didn't weaken, it had strengthened Golden Glider. Is this what the fight is all about? Was the bank robbery a cover- just because Lisa wants to see Cisco again? Talk about melodramatic, he thinks. "Hey, um, let's calm down." he says cleverly, like negotiations will help. 

But his pining for Hal is making him think everything is about romance. He's mistaken. 

"Too late, _Barry._ " Snart whispers. 

 The speedster freezes. True, he's fast, but there's no way he can escape this, not without civilians getting injured. If he runs away, the rogues will have hit a major sector of the city  _and_ get away with money, maybe even release his identity. He breathes, unaware of what to do. Barry takes an uneasy breath, then steps forwards. "No w-" 

There is a green flash of light, a confident laugh. Snart growls, and with a swift motion Barry's head slams into something. 

Dazed, he hears gasps.

"The Flash need his knight in shining armour to save him?" Snart croons, and the laugh repeats.

"Hardly. You just need your ass kicked."  

 _About time, GL,_ Barry mutters, smiling fondly.

A voice recognizable as Golden Glider sighs, but continues. "So what, are you gonna beat us up when The Flash couldn't?" The Central City Rogues are somehow incredibly fond of the Flash, even when they try to kill him daily.

The confident voice seems to contemplate. "Um, duh. I'm not as merciful as him, you know." The voice pauses once again, winks at Golden Glider,  "however, I am just as handsome. Wouldn't you agree, Lisa? " 

Golden Glider gags.

"I prefer a clever man." she purrs, too distracted to notice a blast of green light shoot her. 

"Ah, well, at least she didn't deny my looks. So how's that for clever?" GL laughs smugly. 

It is Snart who steps forwards, his snowboots soft on the ground as he growls. "Leave my sister alone, _Nightlight._ " 

"Come on, she isn't hurt. Seriously, at least." 

Suddenly, there is a war-like scream, and a loud smack. "YIPPEE KAY YAY, BITCHES!" 

Now, it is Barry's turn to groan. The use of the cowboy-esque war cry is often fatal against villains, and his rogues wont hesitate to freeze, burn, or solidify GL.

"No, you idiot." he says, before losing focus. His head feels cold, and he is confused. Green Lantern can't die. He just can't. "If you die, I'll kill you." Barry mumbles. 

It's a painful moment when Barry realizes that he'll miss the flirtatious asshole. 

The speedster scrambles up, exhausted, in attempt to keep fighting. He fails, flopping back to the hard concrete. 

The green light swarms closer, brighter. Barry has to close his eyes, and even that doesn't block out the light. 

"Officer!" Green Lantern yells, his voice morphing into one louder and deeper, much more mature. "I have caught the villains. Please escort them to Iron Heights." 

A group of cops shrug at eachother before a younger police officer sighs and sprints over to awkwardly salute the hero. "Um, thanks, Green...?" She stands on the pavement, squinting at the green hero's costume. 

"That's Green Lantern to you!" 

The cop rolls her eyes, and pulls out handcuffs. "Well, thanks." As her footsteps go quieter, Barry hears a soft croon.  

"Fight ya later,  _Bar._ " Snart whispers, eyes narrowed as he is dragged away. 

 The next thing Barry experiences is confusion. He accepts the hazy sleep with ease and comfort.

Blue eyes close. 

* * *

 

A breeze rustles Barry's ears, and he moans. "Five more minutes?" 

When he opens his eyes, the world is green tinted and spherical. It only takes the sleepy speedster a moment to realize he is trapped in one of Green Lantern's imaginables. 

"What is this, a sick joke?" Barry yawns. He glances down at his costume, bewildered, and nearly screams as a pug-nosed face squishes unto the bauble-like cage.

"Flash, my boy! Miss me? Where have I been, you might wonder?" A pause. "Just kicking ass and taking names for you." 

 The speedster's face crumples. "What the actual  _hell_ is going on?" he asks. It isn't that he doesn't appreciate his partner being alive and well, but god, he just wants to know what happened. Maybe GL's brash recklessness was the key to defeating the careful villains, or he just got lucky. 

Green Lantern   backs up from the cage, quickly morphing into amusement. "Slow on the uptake, huh, Flash?" 

Barry is calmed by the joke, so he speeds out of the bubble. "You know me, GL." he remarks.

Chivalrous as always, GL uses his ring to open Barry's canopy trap, letting his friend step out. The blonde observes his surroundings. He is somewhere sunny and warm, with curling trees bordering a grassy field. It's a nice field. Very quaint, and very unlike somewhere Lantern would go. If Barry had to guess, that is. 

He breaks his train of thought, shifting back to normal speeds of time. "How far away from Central are we?" Barry wonders, turning to his fellow hero, "And why are we here?" 

Green Lantern looks around , shrugging. "... No idea, gorgeous." His face is smudged with dirt, his fingers decorated with small cuts. Even GL's hair, usually wavy and pristine, is out of place. 

Barry Allen, the mom friend of the heroes, freaks. 

"What  _happened_?" he gasps, swooning closer to the brunet hero. He cups Green Lantern's face with his gloved hands, peering at each frosted cut. "Are you  _okay_? Tell me everything." 

The brunet hero raises an eyebrow, drops it, and smirks. "Flash, I'm fine." he drawls, but keeps Barry's hands on his face. 

Barry repeats himself. "Tell me." 

Time goes faster than it does even when he's running as soon as Green Lantern grabs Barry by the face and kisses him. Barry's eyes jerk closed, and he is confused but the kiss is nice but he's in love with Hal, right, and he stops. 

 "What were you thinking, GL?" 

Barry has unwillingly run feet away, which is a suprisingly controlled distance,and he is flustered. "What-what?" It's not that it wasn't a nice kiss, but this sort of thing ruins working relationships, and Barry doesn't want to lose his friend. 

Green Lantern rolls his eyes, frustration evident through his bright red cheeks. "It was a nice kiss, wasn't it? Wait—are you Seriously telling me you didn't realize I'm in love with you?"

"Ye- what?" Barry stops pacing. 

The brunet hero continues, his anger fading into scorn. "I was _only_ trying to be honest. And I mean, you can't blame me for being concerned. You heal fast, but that was a nasty bruise."  

"Oh." 

For once, Barry is unable to form a wise response, or even a real word. When the words come, though, he finds himself more frustrated than flattered. 

"GL, I'm fine. Your concern is touching and the kiss.. well.. I'm not just one of your damsels, not someone you can just save and flirt with and ... whatever you do." 

Green Lantern narrows his eyes, frustration returning. "So if you're dying  in an unmatched fight, I should just fly by?" 

The blond snorts. "GL, you've never  worried about me so don't start now." 

GL fumes, and Barry is surprised the green hero has enough control not to have punched him yet. " _Excuse me_? Clearly I care, I just told you I've been in love with you for ages." The brunet stomps away into the forest, muttering. When he turns back to the speedster, his face is blotchy. "What is your problem, anyways, Flash? Can you just thank me or tell me the kiss was bad or _something_?" 

Barry's ears burn bright pink, the corners of his lips tugged into a frown. "It was a great kiss, okay?" His breathing is heavy, and Barry can tell that his heart isn't the only one beating too quickly. 

"But?" the glowing hero asks, in sync with the Flash."You first." he adds.

"I think I'm in love with someone else

"That's kind of a relief." GL admits, "At least you find me attractive though." He winks, using his ring to conjure up a telephone to his ear. "Call me," me mouths. 

The blonde laughs. "I'm sure you have someone else, too?" 

Green Lantern turns his head to the sky theatrically. "Ive had many a lover," he announced, "but never have I been in love with someone as much as I have been with this one guy." 

The red-clad hero smiles warmly. "He must be a lucky guy, then." 

"Yes.." but the other hero pauses. "Nevermind. Keep the different lives seperate, that was the deal." 

There is silence, and Barry notes that it has not been this awkward between them, never. He just wants to keep GL happy, especially after the kiss. 

"Well," the speedster begins, his eyes twinkling, "you never have been one to follow the rules."

The smile that forms on Green Lantern's face is priceless- goofy and grateful in a single twitch of his mouth. 

When the brunet hero speaks again, his voice is confident. 

"Well, for starters," Green Lantern says, "His name is Barry Allen. He's blonde, tall, chronically late, smart, and gorgeous." He continues, slipping off a shimmering green ring that he keeps on the middle finger of his pristine gloves.

The green costume disappears. "And I'm Hal Jordan, Flash. Nice to meet you, with out secret identities unknown." 

Barry freezes, and his heart jumps out of his chest and he wants to scream. 

 

 

**stop HERE, the underneath writing is unedited**

 

"I know you said you said you'll mix your vigilante life with your personal one, just for me, and I know this is probably not what you meant" Green Lantern says breathily, "but babe, I need to do this." He is determined, brown eyes brimming with hunger as he leans into the speedster.

Barry freezes, surprised. Since when have the jokish hero's flirtations become real? It only takes the speedster a second to realize his feelings are the same. 

The blond consents quickly, some part of him craving the knowledge as well. 

They close their eyes, Barry allowing the green hero to tug off his mask in a struggle for more contact.

"Can I?" The speedster asks, soon finds himself taking off GL's mask. Barry pulls the cloth off quickly, yearning for the understanding of who hides under the mask.

I've waited long enough to find out, he decides. He knows he is the one who wanted his secret identity a secret, but that doesn't seem to matter any longer. 

Mid-kiss, Barry pauses and the green hero stops abruptly. "Something wrong, babe?" Barry shakes his head, but GL gets the hint.

Bluebell eyes meet brown ones. 

Barry's eyes widen with shock, excitement. Somehow, he is the confused one. He must be losing his memory, his connection to his non-vigilante life- because how didn't he know? 

"Hal?" he whispers. 

The Green Lantern- no, Hal- winks. Hal's fighting, determined persona disapears quickly, fading into the delighted, arrogant best friend Barry's had since... forever. 

"Surprised, gorgeous?" 

Even the green-clad hero is unable to hide his own surprise, studying his partner with intrigue. 

The glowing green hero now smirks, his hands on his waist as he begins to float with excitement. "I mean, who could have thought that the  _ah-mazing_ Hal Jordan could so effortlessly juggle life, Carol Ferris,  _and_ being a superhero?" He pauses, taking a shaky breath, "Oh wait. I knew that. Duh." 

Barry shakes his head, grinning. "Come on, now you've gone and ruined the moment!"

He still feels full of shock, desperation, confusion- can it really be? can Hal really be Green Lantern? They've been friends for ages- how did neither suspect it? 

"Too bad." Hal retorts. 

Before Barry knows it, he is kissing Green Lantern- no, Hal. does it matter?- again. 

"Next time," Barry murmurs, "Remind me to just tell you and not wait. Same applies to you."

Hal shakes his head, brown waves spilling everywhere. "Oh, shut up, Allen." 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy! 
> 
> @ tcmmymerlyns come talk to me


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